Candy-drying machine.



J. W. GREER.

CANDY DRYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man APR. 3, 1914.

1,147,939, Patented July 27, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I. E W 4 L 65/ a4 a L 166 39 3 31 GZ/ 3/ i 29 1s 1/ /9 3M*Cfi i5) 1 3/5 i K 22 31 g 3 26 5 21 46 4 g \40 F 3 Z8 gr F 57 1 57fir-J] r GUM 2%aoom w. GREER. -CANDY DRYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILEDAPR. 3. 1914.

1,147,939. Patented July 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. Fig-5. e? 68 r JESSE W. GREER. 0F FORT WCRTH, TEXAS,ASSIGNOR T0 KING CANDY COMPANY, A.

' CORPORATION OF TEXAS.

CANDY-DRYING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 27,1915.

Application filed April 3, 1914. Serial No. 829,250.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn W. GREEK, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Fort lVorth, in the county ofTarrant and State of Texas, have inventedcertain new and usefulImprovements in Candy-Drying Machines, of which the following is aspecification. V

My invention relates to drying and packing machines and moreparticularly to machines forv drying and packing chocolate candy, andthe object is to provide machines which will save much time and expensein drying candy and by which the drying of the candy will be continuousfrom start to finish without attention or work on the part of anattendant from the time the candy is placed on the machine until thecandy is dry and ready to be moved from the machine. A great advantageis that the curling of the candy is made uniform and the number of timesthe candy must be handled is greatly reduced.

Other objects and advantages will be fully. explained in the followingdescription and the invention will be more particularly pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of thisapplication.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a rear elevationof the same. Fig. 3 is a broken sectional view, be ing a verticalsection showing the interior elevation at the rear end of the machine,one tray with its runner bars being omitted for clearness inillustration. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the front end of the machineon a reduced scale. Fig. 5 is aside elevation of the rear end of themachine, being the exterior of the machine as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 isa plan view of the front end of the machine. Fig. 7 is a detail view,being an edge view of the moving guide for the candy plates or boards.-Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same partsthroughout the several views.

The machine herein described is ofsuch great length that it isimpracticalto try to show a side elevationor a plan view of the entiremachine. The machine may be twenty-five to fifty feet or more in length.

The machine is provided with upright posts driven by the sprocketchains, the sprocket wheels 12 and 13 being idlers for supporting thesprocket chains. The wheels 12 and 13 are provided with shafts 1% whichare journaled in bearings 15 which are attached to bars 16 which areprovided with braces 17. Sprocket wheels 10 and 11 are provided .withshafts 18 which are journaled'in bear-' ings- 19 which are attached tosupporting bars 20 with braces 21. The sprocket wheels and chains aredriven by gearing at. the front end of the machine. A shaft 22 isjournaled in bearings 23 which are attached to the posts.1 and 2. Apower pulley 24 is rigid with shaft 22 and may be driven by any suitablepower. A pinion 25 is rigid with shaft 22. A shaft 26 is jburnaled inbearings 27 which are attached to the posts 1 and 2. Pinions 28 arerigid with shaft 26 and one of these pinions meshes with pinion 2:") bywhich the pinions 28 and shaft 26 are driven. Cog wheels 29 are rigidwith the sprocket wheel shafts 18 and mesh with the pinions 28 and aredriven thereby. The

carry the candy which is spread thereon. Y

The plates 30 are provided with slides or runners 31 which run on tracks33 which are attached to the side frame beams 6 and 7 and extend fromone end of the machine to the other. The runners 31 are attached attheir middle points to the sprocket chains 8 and 9 by means of clips orsmall plates 32 which are rigid with the runners and piv- "otallyconnected to the sprocket chains. Be-

ing thus pivotally connected to the sprocket chains, the plates orboards 30 move with the sprocket chains. Guards 3% are pro vided toprevent upward displacement of the plates 30. Means are provided at thefront of the machine for maintaining the plates in horizontal positionwhile the plates 15. the weight 38.

are being moved from the u per plane to the lower plane of the sprocketchains. The plates remain pivotally connected to the chains all thetime. Just as a plate 30 comes back to the front of themachine and isready to start to the lower plane, a guard which is carried by a stem orsupport 36 is thrown up just high enough for a plate to rest on top oftheguide orguard. A post 37 has a groove therein for the verticalmovement of'the support 36. A weight 38 is used to elevate the guard 35.A cord 39 is attached to the support 36 and run up over an idle pulley40 and then attached to A board 41 is attached to the post 37 to preventremoval of the support 36. lVhen a plate 30 comes on top of the guard35, the plate 30, being driven by the sprocket chains, forces the guard35 on down, the guard holding the plate in horizontal position and whenthe plate 30 reaches the lower plane of the sprocket chain, it moves onoff the guard 35, and as soon as the plate passes off of the guard35,the guard is thrown by the weight 38 back up wardly to receiveanother plate 30. This operation goes on continuously and automaticallywhile the machine is running.

At the rear end of the machine, provision is made for holding the plates3() horizontal while changing from the lower plane of the sprocket chainto the upper plane of the sprocket chain. A guard 42 is located justabove the plane of the lower sprocket chains. The guard is carried by asupport 43 which moves vertically in a groove in a"post 44. A weight 45is connected to the support 43 by a cord 46. A plate will pass .underthe guard 42 and the guard 42 will rest on top of the plate and thesprocket chains will move the plate upwardly and force the guardupwardly. The chain will move on and from under the guard 42 and theweight 38 will draw the guard down in time to catch on top of the nextfollowing plate 30'. This operation goes on continuously while themachine is running. Devices are necessary in starting the plate 30upwardly in horizontal position. The track 33 is curved at :47 to startthe front edge of the plate 30 upwardly and a weighted lever 48 pressesunder the rear edge of the plate to maintain the plate in horizontalposition while the front edge of the plate is riding up the curve at 47.As soon as the plate reaches the guard 42, the guard will hold the platein horizontal position while the plate is passing around the sprocketwheel .12. A guard 50 is mounted above the highest point to which theguard -12 reaches to prevent displacement of the guard 42. The guard 50is supported on an upright 4 3. The lever t3 is fulcrumed on a bar 51which rests on the cross-brace 52. A weight 53 is suspended from thelever 48 to pull down on the lever for pressing upwardly against theplates 30 as they pass over the end of the lever. A'soc'ket 54: isprepared to receive the weight 45. The post e-l is braced by a cross bar55 which is attached to the main frame, and by the track bar 33.

The machine operates automatically when once started and the candyplates are carried from the front end in the lower plane of thesprocketchains and back to the front end in the upper plane of thesprocket chains.

The sprocket chain 9 operates a package carrier belt 56. A sprocketwheel 57 is mounted on a shaft 58 which is journaled in the machineframe. This wheel is driven by the sprocket chain 9 by placing anothersprocket wheel 59 on the shaft 58 in line with the chain 9 so that thechain 9 will engage the wheel 59. The wheel 57 drives av chain 60 andchain 60 drives a sprocket wheel 61 which is mounted on and rigid withthe shaft (32. A pulley 63 is rigid with the shaft 62 and drives a belt64:. An idle pulley 65 is mounted on a shaft 66 at the front-end of, themachine. Guards 67 are provided for the carrier belt 61L. The shaft (36is journaled in sliding bearings (38. Screw bolts 69 are swivellyconnected to the bearings (38 for the purpose of regulating the tensionof the belt 64. The belt (it will discharge packages down a chute 70.This provision 1s necessary-to take the packages from the front end ofthe machine to store them at the rear end of the machine for delivery.

In operation, the trays are loaded or the candy spread thereon at thefront of the machine. A card board or suitable paper or other coveringmay be placed on the trays to receive the candyiwhieh is placed thereonpiece by piece. The candy is carried on thelower plane of the sprocketcarrying chains to the rear of the machine and then back toward thefront of the machine on the upper plane of the sprocket chains. \Vhenthe candy is approaching the front of the machine on the return trip, itmay be removed by the attendants and packed in suitable boxes or otherreceptacles. The candy can be taken more than one trip on the machine ifnecessary. At or near the front of the machine, the candy is packed inboxes which are being brought along on the lower part of the carrierbelt 56. The empty boxes are placed on the lower part of the carrierbelt toward the rear of the machine and moved along so that theattendants can use them as needed. When the boxes are packed they areplaced on the upper part of the carrier belt and delivered toward therear of the machine and they slide down the chute 70 off of the machine.

It is apparent that various changes may be made in the construction ofthe machine without departing from my invention. The drying and packingof the candy are made uniform. The temperature is maintained at aconstant degree and the exposure of the candy while making the tripabout the machine cures the candy in a most satisfactory manner.

Vhat I claim, is,

1. A candy drying and packing machine comprising a horizontal frame, apair of sprocket wheels mounted on each end 'of said frame, a pair ofsprocket chains running on said wheels in upper and lower planes, traysprovided with runners pivotally connected tosaid chains, tracks attachedto said frame for causing said chains and trays to run in horizontalplanes and for causing said trays to remain in horizontal positionduring their travel, a vertically movable guard at the rear end of themachine for holding each tray in horizontal position while changing fromthe lower to the upper plane, and a weight for restoring the guard toits normal position after the passage of a tray.

A candy drying and packing machine comprising a horizontal frame, a pailof sprocket wheels mounted on each end of said frame, means for drivingone pair of said wheels, a pair of sprocket chains running on saidwheels in upper and lower planes, trays provided with runner barspivotally connected at their middle points to said chains, tracks forsaid runner bars connected tosaid frame for holding said t 'ays inhorizontal positions, vertically movable means at the rear end of themachine for maintaining said trays in horizontal position while changingfrom the lower to the upper plane, and vertically movable means at thefront end of the machine for mamtaining said trays in horizontalposition while changing from the upper plane to the lower plane.

3. A candy drying and packing machine comprising a horizontal frame, apair of sprocket wheels mounted at each end of the machine, a pair ofsprocket chains running on said wheels in upper and lower planes, traysspanning the spaces between said chains and .provided with runner barspivotally connected thereto, means for maintaining said trays inhorizontal positions between the ends of said machine, and guardsvertically movable by said chains at the ends of the machine formaintaining said trays in horizontal positions while being moved fromone plane to the other by said sprocket chains and weights for restoringthe guards to their normal positions.

4. A candy drying and packing machine comprising a. horizontal frame, apair of sprocket wheels mounted at each end of said frame, a pair ofsprocket chains running on said wheels in upper and lower planes,

trays spanning the space between said chains and provided with runnerbars pivotally connected to said chains, a guard at the rear end of saidmachine movable by saidchains and adapted to engage said runner bars andhold the same in horizontal position while being forced by said chainsfrom the lower plane to' the upper plane, and means for replacing theguard after it guides each tray to'the upper plane.

6. A candy drying and packing machine comprising a horizontal frame, apair of sprocket chains operatively connected with said frame andrunning in upper and lower planes, trays spanning the space between saidchains and provided with runner bars pivotally connected at their middlepoints to said chains, means for maintaining said trays in horizontalpositions intermediate the ends of said frame, and guards horizontallydisposed and vertically movable by said chains at the ends of said framemair taining the trays in horizontal positioa while being moved from oneplane to an other by said chains.

7. A candy drying and packing machine comprising a horizontal frame, apair of sprocket chains operatively .connected with said frame andrunning in upper and lower planes, trays spanning the space between saidchains and provided with runner bars pivotally connected at their middlepoints to said chains, means intermediate the ends of said frame formaintaining said runner bars and trays lll'llOIlZOIlttIl positions,means at the ends of the frame for maintaining the trays in horizontalpositions while being moved by the chains from one plane to another, anda weighted lever at the rear end of the frame for balancing each tray asit starts from the lower plane to the upper plane. v

8. A candy drying and packing machine comprising a horizontal frame, apair of sprocket chains opcratively connected with said'frame andrunning in upper and lower planes, trays spanning the space between saidchains and provided with runners pivotally connected at their middlepoints with said chains, means intermediate the ends of the frame formaintaining said trays in hori- In testimony whereof, I set my hand inthe zontal positions, and a vertically movable presence of twoWitnesses, this 13th dayof 1a gulard) at the front eifid (if 1t(l11eframe moV- March, 1914. abe y said chains or 0 ing each tra inhorizontal position While it passes frorii JESSE G the upper plane tothe lower plane and a Witnesses:

Weight for elevating said guard to normal A. L. JACKSON,

position after the passage of each tray. OLIN DAVIS.

copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

